Today Alivia had off school because of Kindergarten Round up. I had intended planned on going swimming somewhere inside, but with temperatures in the 70's, we had to be outside! So, we visited the Lewis & Clark Monument Park and Big Lake Park in Council Bluffs before visiting great grandparents.
We first visited the Lewis & Clark Monument Park (19962 Monument Road, Council Bluffs). I had never been there, so I was unsure what to expect. We found amazing views of the Omaha skyline. It was breathtaking, if you appreciate that kind of thing. The park is located on top of a hill, so you are able to see the Missouri River, the airport, the Omaha skyline, and beyond. After appreciating the view, reading a bit about Lewis and Clark and the monument, we took to some dirt trails. They were pretty, but they were also a bit treacherous in spots for little kids. The kids actually enjoyed walking the trails in the forest. We then walked back to the monument for another peak, before heading to the car for the next adventure.
The next stop was just down the road at Big Lake Park. We had visited this park last summer when we looked a house on top of the bluff near this park (I so wanted to visit the house we looked at but decided against it. The home was beautiful with a fabulous view, but was in Council Bluffs and not in NE where we wanted to stay living if possible). The park had been redone, I thought, since our last visit. We played at the playground before walking around the Lake and feeding the geese. There were these big things in the water that appeared to be rocks until we walked closer to the Lake. They were big, dead fish! Yuck! It was very peaceful there. We had a picnic, played some more, before deciding to leave for our next stop.
After a quick phone call, we decided to drop in on Great Grandma and Grandpa Austin. The kiddos were still loud and wild there (embarrassing enough). Alivia played telephone with Grandpa Harold which I found a little funny. We even got to see wild turkeys and deer in their backyard! That was a nice treat.
After arriving at home, we walked, ran and biked around the lake. I walked and ran, Addison rode and ran, Asher just rode, while Alivia rode her bike. We went probably 3/4 the way around the lake, walking through the neighborhood back home. With all of the wind, I was exhausted after we got home. But, I was not so tired that I did not find the energy to spray weeds, turn on the sprinkler system, and begin mowing the lawn (without the playset up yet, I had to finish once Chris got home and could watch the kids).
What a day off! Like every day, the verdict was, "This was the best day ever!" At least until tomorrow...
Want to visit these parks and need to know what to bring? Well, the Lewis and Clark park is not really stroller friendly. Well, at least their trails are not. There are nice picnic tables to have a lunch at. Big Lake Park: bring a stroller, food for the geese, hand wipes, and a picnic and lots of free time to play. The kids LOVED Big Lake Park!
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